UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi all...

we have a 4-bed property rented out by the room to 3 professional tenants. There's been an ongoing issue with the guttering/downpipe that's caused a bad leak into one of the tenants rooms, and down into the kitchen. It's been going on for about a year, and we've had a guy out twice to repair the guttering, but each time the problem has come back. Obviously we've lost all trust in this tradesman now.

I'm currently suffering financially to a rather large degree and as such I can't afford to get the repairs carried out. I've moved the tenant into a different room, but he's demanding a rent reduction and has threatened to report me to the local council housing team.

I understand that as a landlord, I am obliged to keep the property in a good state of repair, but I am at a bit of a loss on what to do as I cannot afford to get the work done.

Any advice will be massively helpful!

Aaran

My advice is to get a loan to afford the repairs. You're ruining (and probably have ruined) your relationship with your tenant and this will ultimately cost you dearly as well. You *must* afford the repairs, I see no other way for you.

My 2p.

Hi Armin,

thanks for your reply.

To update, I've spoken personally to the local council housing team, and they've confirmed that by moving the tenant into an alternative room, the tenant has no complaint. A relief to say the least.

We have decided that the market focus has shifted considerably since we first bought the property, and that it's no longer viable to rent our property out by the room on a "bills included" basis (£310 gas bill per month!!!!).

So as soon as we have built our funds back up again, we'll be serving the statutory 2 months' notice and getting the property rented out to a family, who pay their own bills.

Aaran

Hi aaran,

Glad to see you have a plan, it sounds like it will work for you.

Two comments:

1 - Armin is 100% correct.  You must find a way of affording repairs.  If the problem is guttering it really should cost under £100 time and materials to do a repair to a gutter.

2 - Beware of the risk of getting caught out by a tenant going to court over delapidations.  Outcomes often include you foregoing rent you have recived and paying addiitonal compensation.